BISHOP KEARNEY'S SCIENCE CLUB ACCEPTS THE NASA CHALLENGE

Bishop Kearney’s Science Club, under the direction of moderator Roseann Daniello, recently submitted five experiments for this year’s NASA Expulsion Challenge. Using FabLab software, the students prepared a short proposal along with a diagram/picture which was submitted to NASA for review. As part of the challenge the students were tasked to design and build objects that sink in water in normal gravity but will be expelled as far as possible out of the water during free fall in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop.

Once selected for testing, the club members will build their designs in the FabLab using the laser cutter to create ridges on the surfaces of their designs and the 3-D printer to make the plastic geometric figures using Tinkercad, an online 3D software. According to Ms. Daniello, “Using the FabLab for this challenge gives the students an opportunity to see their concepts visualized in 3D format.” The completed designs are then sent to NASA for testing.

This challenge inspires students to pursue STEM careers by participating in research related to space station science and learning about experiment design and construction.

This challenge is similar to last year’s DIVER Challenge where all five of the Science Club’s experiments were accepted and tested by NASA. NASA sent Bishop Kearney pictures of the actual tests along with the video so that the students could review and analyze the results.

Team selections will be announced by mid-December.

Bishop Kearney High School | 2202 60th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204 | Phone: 718.236.6363 | Fax: 718.236.7784
Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York